January 22, 2006	Sunday	Zilhaj 21, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 21: Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat has said there is no room for complacency in the dynamic field of education.

Speaking at the 15th annual Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) award ceremony of Fazaia schools and colleges here at the Fazaia Inter College, Air Headquarters, he stressed the need for high standards of education to prepare the children to meet the demands of the 21st century.

He said there was a universal realization today that true education was not learning by rote. “Our education must aim for both mental and intellectual growth and groom thinking-children. Schooling should also set in motion the spirit of inquiry and objectivity,” he said.

The air chief advised the students to do their best and strive for the ideal, so that the best remained within their reach. The key to meeting the challenges of today and tomorrow is to make relentless endeavours and to pursue studies with focussed commitment, innovation and creativity. “You must know that no one can aspire for excellence in any field without having to pass through the demanding process of study, preparation and total application. Excellence is not a skill, but an attitude,” he stressed.

He also urged the educational institutions to make concerted efforts to ignite in the students a ceaseless quest for knowledge and groom them intellectually, psychologically and socially. He said the educational training at the institutions must enable students to adapt to the fast changing world.

He said the youth of today were talented and promising and could excel in any field with proper guidance and encouragement.

“It is our responsibility to provide them with sound education, show them the path to their destination, and channelize their energies into meaningful results,” he added.

The air chief expressed the confidence that teachers could comprehend the gravity and importance of their task. They must understand that their job is not merely to fill the minds of their students with information, but also provide them the vision and ability to process the same. “Together, we must make education a process not only to empower people to stand on their feet and take control of their own lives, but also contribute to nation-building, eventually,” he said.

He said the young generation in the present age of science must be exposed to intellectual pursuits, research and creativity. At the same time, grooming of a child must take into account all qualities of head and heart.